Propeller



Dec. 31, 1946. B. J. PAULSON 2,413,372

PROPELLER Filed May 24, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A BY /8 9 Dec. 31, 1946. B. J. PAULSON PROPELLER Filed May 24, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N VEN TOR. iii/4W0 u. PAz/mm 142144 Arm/ME Patented Dec. 31, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 5 Claims.

My invention relates to propellers, andmore particularly to a type of propeller that is stamped out of a single piece of material, or molded from plastic materials in a single, integral unit, Working on the large volume of the medium extending radially from the unit, instead of the conventional medium entering from the back or front of the unit.

The objectof my invention is to provide a device of the character described, that can be used as a propeller or impeller, of high efficiency, thereby permitting a reduction in size over the conventional blade or vane type of propeller.

Another object of my invention is to'provide a device that may be used for either air, vapor, liquid or any other medium; a device that increases the volume and velocity of the material to be drawn, actuating and causing a flow not only on the face of the propeller, but also on the peripheral outer area of the device, and providing, due to its contour, a supercharging eifect, creating a cushion of dense airimmediatelybehind the propeller, thereby providing aforward thrust by the air entering the front face of'the propeller, and impinging against the dense cross currents immediately back of the propeller frontal area.

Another'object of my invention is to provide'a device that will produce a centripetal flow of high velocity current taken in at the ports on the circumferential periphery from the broad radialarea extending therefrom, causing this flow of air or the like to be thrown cross-Wiseagainst the inside radius of the outer thrust'ring, thereby building up a pushing orforward thrust force.

Still another object of my invention is to pro vide a device that will produce a low pressure area directly in front of the radial thrust ring, thereby producing an area'of low resistance on the front face of the radial ring, so that the high pressure on the back side of the propeller will produce a high ratio of propulsion efficiency.

A still furtherobject of my invention is to have the disc type of propeller act as a fly wheel to provide and sustain momentum for'the engine in case of momentary'stalling, also causing 'a sufficiently high revolutions per minute to provide propeller aid for the engine in a landing operation.

Still another object of my invention is to produce a device that need not revolve as fast as a blade type propeller which is a distinct advantage in some instances, and

Another object of my invention is to provide a propeller that produces a centripetal flow of air taken in at the periphery of the disc, combining a centripetal intake of the medium with a powerful centrifugal discharge.

Other and further objects of my invention will become more apparent as the description proceeds when taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

Figural is a'front view of the face of a propeller illustrating the manner of staggering the louvres, acting as scoops on the'frontface and circumferential face of the device.

Figure 2 is a cross sectional fragmentary view of Figure 1, indicating by arrows the travel of air currents.

Figure 3 is a similar fragmentary cross sectional view of a similar type of propeller having a concave frontalface.

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view of a portion of the propeller, illustrating the manner in which the louvres are to be formed in which the intake has a radially formed lip, producing an inertia impact against the inner face of the canopy.

Figure 5 is a'front view of the face of a propeller, showing a plurality of elongated louvres extending outward from the center to the periphery of the device and showing louvres disposed in alignment with one another on the circum'ferential face thereof, and

Figure 6 is a'fragmentary cross sectional view of the device shown in Figure 5, showing the travel of the air currents indicated by arrows.

Similar characters-of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and referring now to the same, the character 45 shows a propeller comprising a single metal stamping, consisting of a drum type frontal face H, aperipheral flange l2 and a convex radial thrust ring 13.

The face i I and the flange 52 are provided with louvres id and i5 respectively. These louvres I4 and 15 are punched and extruded or embossed out of the material constituting the device, and arranged to providean opening it, fa'cing'the direction of revolution of the propeller itself and a canopy or shell 1?. By referring to the Figure 4, it will be noted that the intake lip i8 is radially disposed at the opening 54 causing the flow of air, as shown by the arrow,.to build up an inertia impact in its contact with the inner face'l9 of the canopy ll. The canopy I1 is semi-cylindrical in contour and tapers off from the opening id to the face of the propeller. The opening is may be placed at any desired angle to conform with the volume of air to be "scooped and the louvres l4 and I 5 may be placed in staggered relation to one 3 another to permit the flow of air contacting the surface of the propeller, either at its face or flange between the louvres to be guided into the direct path of the louvres.

The thrust ring l3 of a convex contour is radially disposed without louvres and has a tendency to force the air outside of the periphery of the thrust ring backward, thereby forming an area of low resistance immediately adjacent the peripheral louvres or scoops I5 on the flange I2 of the propeller Ill. The entire unit is mounted onto a suitable propeller shaft 20. In Figures 5 and 6, I show a modified form of the device having the louvres 2| elongated and extending outward from the shaft 20 in the direction of the flange l2. The louvres 22 on the radial flange are set at a pre-determined angle and are also elongated to correspond with the depth of the face of the flange. This places the louvres 22 in direct alignment with one another, instead of the staggered path of louvres I5 shown in Figure 1.

In operation, the air or the like enters the frontal ports I6 of the louvres M or 2|. The air is actually scooped or cut by the peripheral edges of the combined louvres, and the number of louvres or scoops and their size will determine the cutting edge provided. With this arrangement, it is possible to obtain far more cutting edge to the propeller than is possible to obtain with a conventional type of blade propeller. As the air enters the ports I8 of the louvres or scoops, it is thrust upward by the lip I8 shown in Figure 4, against the inner surface I9 of the canopy II, thereby producing an inertia impact causing a forward thrusting action. The area of this inner surface I9 is, of course, dependent on the length and taper of the canopy I1 and the propulsion produced is governed definitely by the design of the louvres.

The peripheral louvres I5 and 22 receive their air from the circumferential area of the propeller, and force it centripetally at high velocity across the inner area of the propeller at an appropriate angle to strike with maximum force against the inner surface 23 of the thrust ring I3. The inlet of the air through the louvres I5 and I6, produces a low resistance area immediately in front of the thrust ring I3, caused by the high velocity centripetal air stream as it passes directly in front of the ring, and the flow of air from the opposite side against the inner surface 23 of the thrust ring I3 changes to centrifugal force as it is deflected from the surface 23. Thisaction also helps to produce a partial vacuum, or area of low resistance not only ahead of the thrust ring I3,

but in the entire zone immediately behind the propeller, creating a central vortex induced by the tornado-like whirling action of conflicting air currents.

The air currents entering through the louvres I 4 and 2 I, flowing at lower velocity than the cross currents due to the diameter of the propeller being greater at the flange I2, automatically merge with the radially inducted cross currents and flow away from the center by centrifugal kinetic force against the inner surface 23 of the radial thrust ring l3.

In Figure 5, I show a plurality of radially depressed areas 24 disposed within the radial contour of the thrust ring I3. Thi modification assists in breaking the steady stream or flow of air deflected rearward from the inside radial thrust ring, and assists in the agitation and mixing of the various air currents and their final unification in a dense discharge current, for the promotion of propulsion efficiency.

It is manifest to anyone familiar with the art, that a device as illustrated and described, applies to many uses, such as airplane propellers. ventilating and air conditioning fans and blowers, high velocity super-chargers, material handling blowers, fluid drive impellers, mixers on homogenizing liquids or semi-solids and many others, and while I have illustrated and described a specific structure and arrangement of elements constituting the device, I do not wish to be limited to these'specific structures, but reserve the right to make such changes and configurations as stay within the description and the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to obtain by Letters Patent in the United States is:

1. A device of the character described, comprising in combination an integral disc of annular contour provided with a flat face and a rearwardly extending flange On the periphery thereof, and a radially disposed thrust ring extending rearward from the depending edge of said flange, a plurality of louvres cut into and extending outward from said face, said louvres spaced in radial alignment and in staggered relation to one another, a plurality of similar louvres on the peripheral flange also placed in staggered relation to one another, the open end of said louvres facing the direction of revolution of said device.

2. A device of the character described in claim 1, in which the open end of said louvres are angularly disposed with relation to the axial alignment of said device.

3. A device of the character described, comprising in combination an integral disc annular in contour, provided with a flat face and a rearwardly extending flange on the periphery thereof, a radially disposed thrust ring extending rearward from the extending circumferential edge of said flange, a plurality of louvres cut into and embossed outward from the said face and flange, the said louvres having their open ends facing the direction of-revolution of said device, the inwardly depending end at the open end disposed upward in a radial contour to direct the air entering said louvre against the inner face of the canopy thereof.

4. A device as described in claim 3, in which the inner surface of said thrust ring is smooth to permit the air entering the louvres of said flange to be deflected rearward after bein carried centripetally along the rear surface of said face of the device.

5. A device as-described in claim 3, in which the thrustring is provided with concave indentions to provide convex surfaces to diffuse the air entering the louvres of said flange deflected rearward after being carried centripetally along the back surface of the face of the device.

BERNARD J. PAULSON. 

